


Sister

by TaraHarkon



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, IPRE team, Series Finale, Siblings, Spoilers, Team as Family, umbra staff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 19:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12087564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraHarkon/pseuds/TaraHarkon
Summary: The memories were coming hard and fast now and Taako’s mind was reeling. Then he saw it. Lup, backlit by his fireball, with a grin on her face and the umbra staff in her hands. He remembered her explaining what it was and he tightened his grip on on the handle subconsciously. He couldn’t let go of it now. Closing his eyes tightly, he swore once. Twice. Thrice. Again and again, whispered under his breath as he remembered Lup and he remembered the last time he had seen her before and the last time he had seen her since. Wave Echo Cave. She’d been right there. Right there. And he had had no idea.





	Sister

The memories were coming hard and fast now and Taako’s mind was reeling. Then he saw it. Lup, backlit by his fireball, with a grin on her face and the umbra staff in her hands. He remembered her explaining what it was and he tightened his grip on on the handle subconsciously. He couldn’t let go of it now. Closing his eyes tightly, he swore once. Twice. Thrice. Again and again, whispered under his breath as he remembered Lup and he remembered the last time he had seen her before and the last time he had seen her since. Wave Echo Cave. She’d been right there. _Right there_. And he had had no idea.   
  


Taako took a shaky breath, trying to cast the image of that skeleton out of his mind, trying to picture her smiling during the special day they’d shared instead. He couldn’t. He couldn’t shake the image of that sad skeleton, alone for so long. His entire body turned cold and he looked up at Lucretia again. Then he raised the umbra staff, Lup’s umbra staff, and pointed it at their teammate, their friend, at the woman who had betrayed him.

“10.”   
  


Taako kept the umbra staff leveled, even as Lucretia tried to reason with them, even as Magnus tried to make her stop. 

“The time to explain yourself was...mmm about a dozen memories ago.”

“And honestly, seven seconds ago. I’m doing this cool countdown. You fucking took  _ everything _ from me.”

It hurt. Gods, it hurt. Saying it. How bad must it be to hear it? He didn’t care. Taako’s world was gone and he didn’t care who he hurt now. Lucretia was talking. She was still talking. Something about a plan, about being sorry. But it didn’t matter. It wasn’t her words that made him lower the umbra staff. It was a promise he had made. For a long moment, he could see almost see Lup in front of him again. It was just like on the world with the robots when she had put herself between all of them and the crystal. She stood with her arms outstretched, refusing to let her brother become a monster. The umbra staff lowered to the ground slowly and Taako turned away.

   “Fine.”

   He stared down at the umbra staff in his hand while they talked more. Another plan to stop the Hunger. Another plan to save the world. Taako didn’t want to save the world, he wanted to save _his_ world.

   “You know, honestly. Do whatever you want. I don’t care anymore.”

   Magnus looked at Taako, pain clear on his face, and started to reach out to him. Then he turned back to Lucretia.

   “Lucretia, do you realize that - you remember that Taako just realized he lost his sister. This isn’t the time for you to explain yourself! Taako, listen. I know this is tough but you found her! Maybe not how you expected to, but when you weren’t looking you found her. That’s the connection... that’s how strong your connection is to Lup. She’s still helping you, you’re still working together! And she wouldn’t want you to give up!”

   A skeleton alone in a cave. A skeleton sitting there against the wall with nothing but an umbrella that he now held in his hand. A skeleton that was his sister. Maybe Lup wouldn’t want him to give up. Well too fucking late.

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do. And I’m on board for whatever the plan is. But understand this: I have nothing, and I don’t give a shit. The world is ending, and  _ I. Don't. Care _ .”   
  


* * *

Angus flew across the room and slammed hard into a pile of rubble and Taako heard something snap. He hoped it wasn’t something important. Much as he didn’t want to admit it, Taako liked that kid. Of course, he probably should have been paying more attention to his own situation than to the brat. Or at least that was what he thought after a rhinoceros crafted from darkness slammed into him and the umbra staff flew out of his hand. Angus rushed forward, pulling out his broken wand to attack the creature and stopped. The umbra staff was at his feet. The boy bent down and grabbed it.

“Is this okay, Sir?”

For half a second, Taako considered saying no. But... But... If they could get out of this. If they could get to the ship. Davenport was right. Get to the ship, get Lup back. It was as simple as that. If he lived, he could get his sister back.

“Fuck, fine, go for it!”

Taako dodged away as Angus raised the umbra staff, more out of instinct than anything else. He knew perfectly well what it was like to be on the receiving end of that thing. Even if there was usually someone else wielding it. That was when the fireball erupted and Taako froze in his tracks. Ango couldn’t cast fireball. Especially not like that. The rhinoceros was charred and blackened and had skidded to a complete halt as it died.

“Holy shit!”

“Sir, I-” Angus was shaking. Visibly shaking. “That wasn’t me! I didn’t- I didn’t cast that, Sir. I-I’m not powerful enough to cast that spell.”

Images flashed before Taako’s eyes. Fireballs erupting in hordes of darkness, the DMV Lup had burned down on the best day ever, spells erupting from the umbra staff right when he needed them, right when they would save his gorgeous ass.

“I know. I know.”

Scorching ray coming out of the umbra staff to write three letters on the wall. Lup. Magnus had been right after all. She  _ had _ been helping him the whole time.

“No, you don’t- You don’t understand, I’m- that wasn’t me that just cast that spell!”

Angus tossed the umbra staff, fear plain on his face. But Taako was smiling for the first time since his memory had returned. For the first time in a long time. He raised the umbra staff in both hands and closed his eyes. Then he slammed it down onto his knee and rejoiced as it snapped. Then it exploded and he was flung backward. Red smoke surrounded him and flames rose towards the ceiling. They filled the room and were shaped expertly around their friends. Because of course they were. Because Lup was an expert at shaping spells to her will. Because Lup hated doing damage she didn’t mean to do. The tendril of the Hunger was obliterated and Taako lowered his hand from where he’d been blocking the light. There she was, hanging there in the air. Taako’s smile threatened to split his face and his vision swam behind tears of joy as Lup turned towards him. It was hard to make out her features in her lich form, but he could see enough.

“You’re dating the  _ Grim Reaper _ ?!”

Taako laughed. Honestly laughed. It was so good to hear her voice again. Standing, he looked at her, at Barry, at Magnus and Merle and Lucretia and Davenport. It was time to save the fucking world.

  
  



End file.
